Course Description

Welcome to the transformative journey of preparing to embrace motherhood (again, for some of you!). Learning to practice mindfulness is great preparation for the arrival of your little one; and it’s also an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery.

Designed for pregnant women, the Mindful Motherhood (MM) program brings the powerful practice of mindfulness to preparing for labor and the journey of becoming a mom.

Adapted from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindful Motherhood also draws from other evidence-based interventions that emphasize acceptance-based coping skills, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Mindful Motherhood is focused on reducing stress and anxiety, being able to regulate difficult emotions, promoting of healthy behaviors, and strengthening attachment and bonding between mothers and their babies. It is geared towards improving participants' ability to self-regulate emotional distress, alleviate stress, enhance mood, foster maternal sensitivity, and elevate the quality of mother-infant interactions.

By incorporating three fundamental practices—mindfulness while sitting, mindfulness while moving, and mindfulness in everyday life—MM aims to support women, whether planning a pregnancy, currently pregnant, or nursing a new born, in developing the capacity to be fully present in the moment, attuned to their bodies, and able to maintain a nurturing connection with their babies, even in distressing situations. These qualities form the foundation of being a mindful and responsive parent, enabling you to navigate the unpredictable nature of parenthood with grace and confidence.

As you embark on this adventure, remember to celebrate your commitment to intentional self-care and conscious parenting. Your dedication to honing these essential skills will undoubtedly contribute to the kind of mother you aspire to be. Embrace this opportunity to grow, learn, and connect with others who share the same journey into parenthood. We are here to support you every step of the way. Congratulations on taking this meaningful step toward building a strong foundation for both yourself and your growing family!

Format:

• Online
• 90-minute weekly classes for 6-weeks
• Home practice assignments between sessions

Recommended Reading:

• Mindful Motherhood: Practical Tools for Staying Sane During Pregnancy and Your Child's First Year, by Cassandra Vieten, PhD
• Mindful Birthing: Training the Mind, Body, and Heart for Childbirth and Beyond, by Nancy Bardacke, CNM, MA
• The Pregnancy Workbook: Manage Anxiety and Worry with CBT and Mindfulness Techniques, by Katayune Kaeni PsyD

Objectives

• Articulate the aspects of mindfulness as it relates to helping pregnant women and early mothers develop the capacity to be present in the moment, present in their bodies, and to remain in nurturing connection with their babies, even in distressing situations.
• Practice the key aspects of mindfulness during and after pregnancy to become more aware of present moment experience, increase ability to tolerate and regulate distressing affect without resorting to unhealthy behaviors, and cultivate capacity to be fully present more often with oneself and one’s child(ren).
• Apply mindfulness techniques to increase ability to self-regulate affective distress, reduce stress and improve mood, enhance maternal sensitivity, and improve the quality of mother/infant interactions.
• Communicate the potential benefits mindfulness to family and friends (note: This course does not train facilitators, it is for participants wishing to learn the tools and techniques of mindfulness for themselves).
• Continue to deepen personal practice of mindfulness.

6-week MM Course Fee

The course includes the handouts, guided meditations and instruction and is offered for $325 ($300 if you pay in full 30 days in advance for the course). 

UC SAN DIEGO EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT

UC San Diego Employees may take the course for $300 (or $275 if you pay in full 30 days prior to the start of class).

Financial Assistance

We offer financial assistance to avoid turning away anyone with a genuine interest and motivation to participate, if the cost is the only thing preventing them from participating.

With our online registration process, you are able to use a credit card to pay the fee, which gives people some flexibility in making payments over a longer period.

If you a have genuine financial need and the considerations above are not enough to allow you to participate in one of our courses, please contact us (mindfulness@health.ucsd.edu) to inquire about financial assistance. The financial assistance we can provide for each class is limited so you may not be able to enroll in a given course and may have to wait until the next available course.

Cancellation Policy

A refund (minus your $50 non-refundable deposit) will be made for participants who withdraw prior to the 2nd class by emailing mindfulness@health.ucsd.edu. There will be no refunds after the 2nd class starts. Registration, deposits, and funds are non-transferable.

In the unlikely event that the course is canceled, UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is responsible only for a full refund of the registration fee and not for transportation, hotel accommodations or any miscellaneous expenses.

The refunds are processed in the same method as the payments were submitted.